Terms of Reference for navy to navy talks

Subject – IR

Context – India, Australia sign ‘Terms of Reference’ for navy to navy talks

Concept –

The Indian Navy and the Australian Navy on Wednesday signed the ‘Terms of Reference’ (ToR) for the conduct of the navy to navy talks under the framework of the ‘Joint Guidance for the India-Australia Navy to Navy Relationship’ document, signed by the two Navy Chiefs in August.
This is the first such document signed by the Indian Navy with any country.
The document set the navy to navy talks as the principal medium for guiding the bilateral cooperation, the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The document would be pivotal in consolidating the shared commitment to promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ToR detailed the modalities for engagement at various levels between the two navies and streamlined the process.
The document provided flexibility for the implementation of separate agreements based on the specific outcomes of the talks.
The highlights of the document included close cooperation in regional and multilateral fora, including Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).